Exploring the concept of a "permeable" curriculum, this paper provides concrete examples of the social and cultural challenges of a curriculum that allows for the interplay between teachers' and children's language and experiences. The paper uses a recent study in an urban primary school to provide an illustration of the diverse kinds of…

This paper considers the membership, terms of reference, and assumptions governing the work of the Plowden committee. It evaluates criticisms made of the report and relates the committee's conclusions to possible change models and forms of policy analysis that might have been used. (Author)

Examines why, after a successful beginning, EPA programs faltered and all but disappeared by the end of the 1970s. Concludes that while there were many causes, three major factors were the failure of the EPA to respond to changing values, changing base of research support, and the worsening conditions of the inner city. (Author/JDH)

Maintains that Plowden Report appealed as much for its underlying ideology as for its practical instructional suggestions. The ideology was one of "expressionist egalitarianism": belief that each child's potential is equal and is reached through a process of free expression. States that such ideas are inherently implausible and maintains…

States that the impact of the Plowden Report was insignificant in Germany and Austria; that despite a decade of lively educational debate and hopeful reform initiatives, primary schools are as teacher-centered and bureaucratically controlled as ever. (Author/JDH)

Discusses designing, initiating, and collecting observational data from a program designed for a multicultural inner-city kindergarten classroom to teach emergent literacy, to use picture books representing children's cultures, and to share responsibility for children's own learning by freely initiating interactions with print materials. Notes…

Argues that the Plowden Report underrated the seriousness of race and cultural issues in the inner city and took inadequate account of differences in experiences and backgrounds of the children and their families. Analyzes the shortcomings of the types of programs developed during the 1970s and offers suggestions for future improvement.…

Reviews research on the teaching-learning process which has developed in the 20 years since the Plowden Report. Divides studies into those which have focused primarily on teaching styles, opportunity to learn, and classroom tasks. Concludes that the Plowden model of teaching has not stood the test of time. (JDH)

This article reviews findings from a 1975 through 1980 study called ORACLE (Observational Research and Classroom Learning Evaluation). Maintains that the data showed only partial implementation of the Plowden report recommendations. Seeks to explain the reasons for inconsistencies in implementation and offers suggestions for redefining progressive…

Maintains that the Plowden Report has been misrepresented and misinterpreted. Suggests that Plowden's inspirational qualities should not be overlooked. Concludes with a set of 12 generalizations about the status of contemporary British primary education and offers recommendations for future practice. (JDH)

Describes a professional-development model implemented by a university and five inner-city elementary schools with high language-minority populations. The model involved volunteer primary-grade teachers trained in an integrated/language arts approach, regular contact with participating teachers, and establishment of collegial teams to provide peer…

Offers an introduction to the theme articles in this special issue on the Plowden Report, a British government report which advocated a child-centered, experiential approach to primary education. (JDH)

A study explored the role of peer collaboration in literacy development as a case study in the broader inquiry on the social nature of learning and cognitive development. Fourteen low-achieving 7- to 9-year-old children in a third-grade urban classroom used a word processor to write four stories individually and three stories collaboratively with…

What difference should sociocultural difference make in early literacy theory and practice? In response to this question, this paper argues that such differences should lead to a reconceptualization that highlights the social nature and cultural meaning of child literacy development. Drawing on a recent ethnographic study of child composing in an…

This book reports on conversations in which elementary schoolteachers--who have taught in urban settings for an average of 20 years each--reflect on their professional work. The conversations in the book testify to the teachers' ability to engage young people in active learning--and their stories of teaching and learning verify that difference…